Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies Preview
At 8:05 PM ET, the Phillies and Cubs will face off in an NL matchup. This one is taking place at Wrigley Field in Chicago, and the Phillies are the betting favorite on the money line (-130). The money line odds for the Cubs are sitting at +111, and the over/under line is at 8 runs.
Shota Imanaga is starting for the Cubs, while the Phillies are going with Zack Wheeler. Philadelphia leads the NL East with a record of 56-29, while the Cubs are 5th in the NL Central at 39-47.
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Chicago Cubs Trends and Key Stats
- 3-2 is the record of Phillies in their last five road games. They have also gone 3-2 vs. the runline.
- The Cubs, on the other hand, have played five home games recently, during which they have recorded a 2-3 (SU) and 2-3 record.
- The Phillies have a straight-up record of 6-4 in their last ten games as the favorite, with a runline record of 5-5.
- The Cubs have a 3-7 record vs. the runline and a 3-7 straight-up record in their last ten games as the underdog.
Philadelphia rallied for three runs in the 9th inning in the most recent game of this Phillies vs. Cubs series. The Phillies scored two runs in the 1st inning but didn’t score another run until putting up three in the top of the 9th, picking up a 6-4 win. Heading into the game, the Phillies were at +102 on the money line.
Michael Mercado only went five innings for the Phillies but gave up just one hit and one earned run. He finished with four strikeouts but issued two walks. Jeff Hoffman got the save. Hayden Wesneski struggled on the mound for the Cubs, giving up five earned runs in five innings of work.
Trea Turner and Bryson Stott each had two RBIs for the Phillies, while Garrett Stubbs drove in two runs and scored a run while going 1/4. Seiya Suzuki hit the game’s only home run and went 2/4 with three RBIs.
Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies Prediction
Philadelphia is 56-29 overall this season, and they lead the NL East by nine games over the Braves. The Phillies have taken the first two games of this series vs. the Cubs and have an overall series record of 17-7-5 this year. At home, the Phillies are 33-14 and 23-15 on the road.
So far, the Phillies have been really good as the favorite, going 49-23 this year. As the underdog, they are 7-6, and they have won two straight as the road favorite. Heading into today’s game, the Phillies are 36-15 in night games this year.
Philadelphia has been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 45-40 overall. The Phillies have been particularly good on the run line on the road, going 21-17. They have covered the run line in two straight games and have an average scoring margin of +1.1 runs per game on the road this season.
The Philadelphia Phillies are on the road today against the Chicago Cubs, with the over/under line set at 8 runs. The combined run average in Phillies games this season is 8.6 runs, and their over/under record is 37-43. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, the Phillies have a record of 14-9-1. The over has hit in two straight Phillies games.
Right-hander Zack Wheeler is starting for the Phillies today as he faces the Cubs on the road. Wheeler has made 17 starts this season and has a record of 9-4 with an ERA of 2.73. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up two earned runs on seven hits. Wheeler has been pitching well lately, as he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four straight outings. His ERA on the road is 5.29, compared to 1.9 at home.
Philadelphia has been one of the league’s best offensive teams this season, as they are 4th in runs per game (5) and are 3rd in team batting average at .259. The Phillies have also been very good at home, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. As a team, they are 5th in home runs and have the league’s 2nd best on-base percentage.
Over his last five games, Bryce Harper is hitting .409 with two homers and seven RBIs. Harper’s 20 homers this season are the best mark on the team and 7th in the league. Alec Bohm has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/34 over his last nine games with two homers. For the season, Bohm is batting .297 with 68 RBIs.
With a record of 39-47, the Cubs are 5th in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by 12 games. Currently, they are 10-19 against other teams in the NL Central. Chicago is looking to snap a two-game losing streak today, and they have dropped three of their last four games.
At home, the Cubs are 22-19 this season compared to a 17-28 mark on the road. As the home underdog, the Cubs have gone 8-4 this season, and they are 20-21 as the favorite. So far, they have an overall series record of 9-16-2 and have dropped three straight series.
Chicago has been a profitable run-line team this season, going 40-46 overall. They have been much better on the road, going 25-20 compared to 15-26 at home. They have been a good bet as an underdog, going 29-16 on the run line. Their average run margin in winning games is +2.9, while it is -3.1 in losing games.
The Cubs have an over/under record of 37-45 this season, and their games have averaged 8.5 runs per game. When the over/under line has been set at 8 runs, they have gone 3-11-1 in those games. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs this season, and the over has hit in two straight games.
Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today and will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he finished with a no-decision. Against the Giants, he gave up three earned runs in six innings of work. Looking back further, Imanaga has turned in a mixed bag of results, as he has a loss, win, and no-decision in his last three outings. The left-hander has a record of 7-2 and an ERA of 3.07 for the season. Opposing batters are hitting .238 off Imanaga this year. Out of his 15 starts, he has nine quality starts and is averaging 8.89 strikeouts per nine innings.
For the season, the Cubs are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, the Cubs are batting just .227, and their collective on-base percentage of .310 is 11th in the league. The team’s 83 home runs is 15th in the MLB.
Over his last five games, Seiya Suzuki has gone 5/20 with two homers and five RBIs. For the season, he is batting .262 with 11 homers. Ian Happ has also gone deep twice in his last five games, but he is batting just .226 for the season and .214 in his last five games. Christopher Morel leads the Cubs with 45 RBIs but is batting only .195.
Our prediction for today’s Phillies vs. Cubs game is to take the Cubs on the money line, with the payout at +111. We have the Cubs winning this one by a score of 5-4. If you’re looking for an over/under prediction, we would take the over, as the line is currently sitting at 8 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Shota Imanaga of the Cubs has the second-best chances of picking up a win among today’s starters. As for Zack Wheeler, he does have a good chance of picking up a win, but we have his final line at 6 IP with six strikeouts.
Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies Betting Tips
- We like the Cubs on the moneyline (+111)
- The Cubs are also our pick on the run line at +1.5
- Projecting a combined 9 runs, we like the over
Chicago Cubs Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Yency Almonte | Out | Shoulder |
| Mike Tauchman | Out | Groin |
| Mark Leiter Jr. | Out | Forearm |
| Keegan Thompson | Out | Ribs |
| Adbert Alzolay | Out | Forearm |
| Julian Merryweather | Out | Ribs |
| Javier Assad | Out | Forearm |
| Ben Brown | Out | Neck |
| Caleb Kilian | Out | Teres Major |
| Jordan Wicks | Out | Oblique |
Philadelphia Phillies Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| J.T. Realmuto | Out | Knee |
| Taijuan Walker | Out | Finger |
| Bryce Harper | Out | Hamstring |
| Kyle Schwarber | Out | Groin |
| Dylan Covey | Out | Shoulder |
| Luis F. Ortiz | Out | Forearm |
| Spencer Turnbull | Out | Lat |
| Michael Rucker | Out | Hand |
| José Rodríguez | Out | Suspension |
